Family Ties
by Amaris Ethne
Summary: Nick goes home for some good old-fashioned Texan fun. Updated: Sibling Debates


Nick rolled over in his bed and sighed. It was no use; he wasn't going to be able to sleep. He glanced at the bedroom window, the thick curtains blocked almost all the sunlight from entering his bedroom but they didn't block the sounds of morning. They didn't block the sounds of that damned bird that sat in the tree just outside his window, every single morning and chirped like its life depended on it.   
  
"Right now, little birdie you life depends on you shutting the hell up!" Nick mumbled to himself as he got up and grabbed his gun from its place on the dresser. Making sure it did, indeed, have bullets in it; he cocked it and headed to the window, flinging open the curtains. The bird stopped chirping and turned to look at him. He was a brave little sucker. Nick's intention was to open the window, take aim and quickly pull the trigger, ending the life of his miserable little alarm clock. But now Nick looked at the bird closely for the first time. It was a pretty little thing. Annoying, but pretty. The bird silently sat on the tree branch, seemingly watching Nick, unafraid. Nick sighed, lowering his gun and uncocked it. He couldn't shoot such a beautiful creature that wasn't doing him any harm. And it wasn't like he was going to be able to eat it like he did the deer he shot as a young man back in Texas. Carefully putting the gun back on the dresser he racked his hand through his dark hair. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well get something done.  
  
~*~  
  
"Nick! Hey, Nick!" Warrick waved his hand in front of the Texan's face.   
  
"Huh? What?" Nick jerked, suddenly aware of his friend.  
  
"Dude, you all right?"   
  
"Why?"  
  
"You're eating Chinese food that's been in the fridge for like a week!" Warrick answered. Nick made a face, just then realizing that it *did* taste funny.   
  
"You seem a little out of it, man."  
  
"Yeah, well, a week without a case and four days of almost no sleep'll do that to you," Nick answered. He got up to throw away his food, but only managed to trip over his own stool and fall to the floor just as Grissom came in.   
  
"Nicky, are you all right?"   
  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," Nick grumbled and took Warrick's offered hand. Grissom took a good look at the young man. He had dark circles around his eyes, his hair looked like he had run his fingers through it a lot and his eyes had a slightly glassy look to them. He looked like a man who needed a break.  
  
"Nick; how long has it been since you last had a vacation?"  
  
"Um...Thanksgiving last year."  
  
"And it's July now. Tell you what; you've done some great work lately and since we seem to have hit a slow streak take a week off. Get some rest. You deserve it." Nick looked at his boss in disbelief. Sure he was tired, but was it really *that* obvious? Nick opened his mouth to protest. *Wait! What the hell do you think you're doing? Passing up a week of *paid* vacation? Are you nuts? *   
  
"I guess your right. Thanks Griss," Nick answered. Grissom just nodded.   
  
"You both might as well go home for tonight." Nick and Warrick looked at each other for a moment and then, not having to be told twice, headed for the lockers.   
  
*One week. What the hell should I do? *  
  
~*~  
  
One large group of people sat in the waiting area of the airport, talking loudly. Kids ran back and forth, the men shared stories about trucks and hunting while the women gossiped and yelled at the children for horsing around. No one bothered them; they just sat taking up anywhere between six to fifteen chairs at once. Finally the announcer called that the flight that they were waiting for had arrived. Mothers called their children to them and everyone stood up, waiting for their loved one to come out.  
  
~*~  
  
Nick was off in his own world as he walked down the gangplank of the airplane. He was thinking about that bird and how maybe, if he put a birdfeeder out in a tree in the back, the bird would go back there instead of chirping in the tree right by his window. It wasn't until he heard a chorus of "Uncle Nick!"'s that he noticed the huge mob of people who had come to greet him. *Holy cow! * He thought, *I only asked Dad to come pick me up! * But there they all were, his parents, all six brothers and sisters and their spouses and children. Instantly he had a gaggle of kids surrounding his feet, all talking at once.  
  
"Yeah! Uncy Nick!"   
  
"What'd you bring?"  
  
"Are you back for good now?"  
  
"Why do you have that hat on?"  
  
"Uncy Nick! Uncy Nick! Look what I can do!"  
  
"No, watch me, Uncle Nick!"   
  
He couldn't help but laugh. God, it was good to be home.   
  
"Okay kids, let Grandma through to see her youngest son!" Nick's mom called out. All the kids backed up, allowing Mrs. Stokes to pass between them. She stood at arm length from her son for a moment, looking him up and down.  
  
"My, you've lost weight. Don't people eat in Los Vegas?"  
  
"Ma..." Nick protested. She shook her head.  
  
"Well, we'll have to get some food into ya, and for gosh sakes, don't just stand there holding your bag! Come on, Clarence, take Uncle Nick's bag," She commanded. The oldest of the kids stepped forward, taking the burden from his uncle and disappearing behind him again.   
  
"They treatin' you well there in Nevada?"  
  
"Yeah, Ma. They treat me fine," Nick answered. Every single time he came, the same thing. Food, bag, treatment. She liked to play the old homebody southern wife though she was anything but. She looked Nick up and down one more time before putting her arms around him tightly. He returned the hug and when they parted both wore a huge smile.  
  
Next came the five sisters, each asking him how he was or telling him that he looked like he'd been working out. His sole brother stood to the back with his father and after the women of the group were done Nick walked over to them, clasping hands first with his brother, then with his father.  
  
"How was the flight?"  
  
"Fine, Pa. A little turbulence over the border, but all right."  
  
"Good, good. You got any more bags?"   
  
"Pa, I'm not Carol. I don't need to bring every pair of shoes that I own with me on a trip home," Nick commented.   
  
" I heard that!" Nick's oldest sister called to him. The three men laughed.   
  
" Come on, we're grillin' tonight." Nick's brother, Ted commented.  
  
" Ooh! Chicken?"  
  
" Of course. Ya know your ma spoils you. Every time you come home: grilled chicken. Why can't your favorite food be meatloaf of somethin'?" Mr. Stokes grumbled as the family started walking out of the airport. Nick just laughed, shaking his head. How good it was to be home.  
  
~*~  
  
The Stokes family homestead was a busier place than Nick had remembered. His oldest sister, Carol, her husband Dale and their two kids had moved back in while they built a house just down the road. Arlene, the youngest sister, was living there during the summer until college at Texas A & E started back up again and Darla and her brood were living in the house next door but, apparently, spent more time in her parents house than in her own. The others all lived in Houston or close enough that they could all be at the house for Sunday dinner. Especially at a Sunday dinner that involved their little brother Nicky. Nick took his bags up to his old room, dropping them on the familiar bed. Looking around he couldn't help but smile. Nothing had been changed; his room looked exactly the way it did when he had left.   
  
"Uncy Nick! Uncy Nick!" Nick's attention was drawn to a little boy of about 3 with dark curly hair and large green eyes. It was his youngest nephew, John.  
  
"Hey there buddy!" Nick greeted, kneeling down to talk to him. The little boy jumped up on his knee.   
  
"Uncy Nick are you moving back here like Aunt Carole did?" he asked, green eyes wide. Nick laughed.  
  
"Nope. I'm just here for a few days. I'm on vacation."  
  
"Why did you come here?"  
  
"To see my family. To see you." Nick answered, tickling the little boy. John laughed, almost falling off Nick's knee.   
  
"All right, up you go! Let's see what's going on downstairs!" Nick exclaimed, lifting his nephew up to put him on his shoulders.  
  
"Wheee!" the boy cried. Nick galloped down the hallway, a laughing three year old on his shoulders and bounded down the stairs. The boys found most of the women in the kitchen and dining room all gabbing away.   
  
"Nick, if you drop him I swear-" Sue warned, pointing a finger at her brother. Nick laughed and bounced her son.  
  
"You've always worried to much. It was Ted that dropped Kyle, not me." Sue started to answer when William, their brother-in-law walked in.  
  
"Hey Nick! Come on out! We've got a cooler of beer out there!" he greeted. John squirmed.  
  
"Uncy Nick? What's beer?' The adults laughed and Sue again pointed her finger at her brother.  
  
"Don't you dare."   
  
"Relax, Sue. It's a drink for adults, Johnny. It's really icky, not for kids."  
  
"Oh. Okay. Let's go outside."  
  
"As you command, Johnny Boy!"   
  
~*~  
  
Out on the back porch Nick opened a Budweiser and leaned back against the railing. The kids were all running around on the swing sets and his dad was busy starting the grill.   
  
"So, Nick. They been working you hard over there in Vegas?" Ted asked.   
  
"I stay busy most of the time. You'd be surprised how many damn murders that city has."  
  
"Like it better than the police force?"   
  
"I don't get shot at as much." Was his answer. The men laughed.  
  
"Nah, you just look at the bodies that have already been shot, right?"  
  
"I'd be throwin' up all over the crime scene doin' that!" William commented.   
  
"Nah. Seeing the body isn't what makes me sick. How the body gets there sometimes, that does the trick."  
  
"CSI's carry, right?"  
  
"Yeah. I've got a nine-millimeter. Just like the one I had as an officer."  
  
"Ever use it?" Clarence called from his seat in the grass whittling. Nick laughed. Leave it to a 12-year-old boy to ask that.  
  
"Not yet." Nick answered. Clarence looked disappointed. He had wanted to hear an exciting story.  
  
"You know, Clarence, your Uncle Nick is a pretty good whittler. Why don't you come on over here and show him what you're working on?" the boy's dad, Dale suggested. The little boy's eyes lit up and ran over to his uncle. He and Nick sat on the steps of the porch as Nick looked over the miniature wooden horse that his eldest nephew was making.  
  
"I'm having trouble with the tail."  
  
"Here, hand me your knife. I'll show you a trick." Nick took the knife and an extra block of wood. A few quick swipes and there was the beginning of a tail coming out of the block.   
  
"Use the curve of the knife, see? Then when it's done you can use the tip to carve grooves in it."   
  
"Wow! Thanks! You're the greatest, Uncle Nick!" and with that, the boy ran off to finish his project. Nick laughed, looking down at the wood in his hand.  
  
"Jeez, maybe I should move to Vegas. When I come home all I get is a 'hi Uncle Ted.' You get a 'you're the greatest!'' Teased Ted.   
  
"You just need to learn how to whittle."   
  
" Well, I offered to teach the boy to play the fiddle. But *no* he wanted to wait and have Uncle Nick teach him the guitar." Ted continued.   
  
"Sorry Ted."  
  
"Yeah, it's not his fault the kids like him better than you!" William contributed.  
  
"The ladies always liked you better too." Arlene commented, coming out on the porch. Ted glared at his youngest sister.  
  
"Remember Jezebel?" Arlene continued. Nick's face got red and Ted looked off, dreamy eyed, remembering.  
  
"Yeah we were going on a double date with Nick. She got sick-didn't she?" He suddenly demanded, seeing his brother's face.  
  
"Yeah, she got sick all right. Of you. Tell him what happened, Nick."  
  
"Arlene," Nick grumbled, "You weren't supposed to tell him!"  
  
"Tell me what? Nick, what did you do?"  
  
"Jezebel called her friend and told her that you had canceled and that all four of you were going to reschedule and then went and met Nick." Arlene finished. Nick sighed.  
  
"You went on a date with Jezebel? *My* Jezebel?!?" Ted almost yelled.   
  
"Woah. Look man, I'm sorry. But that was like 15 years ago!"  
  
"*My* Jezebel?"   
  
"We were 17! Besides, it was just dinner and a movie. I mean, we were both there, and she had that blue dress on..." Nick trailed off, realizing that his brother was about to kill him.   
  
"The one with the puff sleeves? The one with the V-neck that went almost down to her bellybutton?"  
  
"Yup." Arlene answered. Nick shot her a look.   
  
"Well, Arlene told Stacey that you were cheatin' on her!" he yelled. And it did the trick. Ted turned on his sister like a cougar.  
  
"You did WHAT?" he roared. Nick smirked at her. If he was going down she was coming along for the ride.  
  
"Oh yeah. She told her all about some Amber girl who had moved in down the street...didn't she dump you over it?" Nick asked instantly.  
  
"Yes. She did. TWO DAYS BEFORE PROM!" Ted screamed.   
  
"I...I...hey! She was a little slut! I did you a favor!"   
  
"Favor? Who'd you go to the senior prom with, Ted?" Nick prompted.   
  
"Betty Fringles. The only girl in my class without a date. She had pink eye!" Ted answered. William just laughed.  
  
"I can't believe y'all remember this!" no one paid any attention to him.  
  
"Who else did you two chase away? Mary? Were you two behind that one?"   
  
"Nah. That was Kristi. I can't remember what she told Mary, though. You'll have to ask her." Arlene answered.  
  
"Oh, she said that Ted was a pompous jackass and that if Mary had any brains at all she'd run for her life and never look back." Nick answered, helpfully.   
  
"You. Are all. Going. To pay. For THIS!" Ted exploded.   
  
"Kids! Dinner!" Came Mrs. Stoke's voice from inside.   
  
~*~  
  
The dining room was filled with the noises of the young kids eating and laughing, but the adults seemed quiet. Ted just sat silently, shooting looks at his brother and sisters and viciously tearing apart his food. Arlene kept stealing looks at her older brother and snickering at Nick who kept his face carefully blank as he ate.   
  
"So, Nicky, anything new over in the big party city?" Carol asked. Nick just shrugged.   
  
"Not really. I was thinking of getting a dog."  
  
"Uncle Nick's getting a puppy?" Sadie, one of his nieces chimed in.  
  
"I might."  
  
"What kind?"  
  
"Golden retriever."   
  
"What about women, Nick?" Carol prodded. Nick smiled and looked down at his food.  
  
"Ooh. There *is* a women!" Kristi teased. Nick just shook his head.  
  
"No one serious. A few dates here and there, no big deal." But his sisters just looked at him, waiting for him to spill the beans. Almost at once, all the kids finished their meals and scurried away from the table, eager to get on with their playing.  
  
"Seriously, guys! CSI takes up a lot of my time." More silence and more stares.  
  
"Jeez, come on. There isn't anyone serious. I've been on some dates, that's all."  
  
"So, what, Nicky, do you just go out with a different woman every Friday night?" Carol asked sarcastically. Sue and Arlene just laughed.  
  
"Would it surprise you, Carol? Our little Nicky has always been into the ladies." Everyone around the table smirked at that one.   
  
"Hey! I've gone out to dinner and drinks with some women. A couple movies. Casual stuff. One time things."  
  
"Like prostitutes?" William asked. Kristi, his wife hit him and Nick threw his crumpled up napkin across the table to hit him on the head.  
  
"Casual, Will. Not desperate."   
  
"Yeah, Will. Not like you." Arlene insulted. Nick laughed.  
  
"Ah, Kristi? I think that was actually an insult to you."  
  
"Well than how about you, Arlene? When's the last time you've had a date that you didn't have to pay afterward?" Carol asked. Nick blushed slightly. Suddenly the conversation had gotten way too personal rather than lighthearted. Before Arlene could respond, Nick picked up his plate and stood up.  
  
"Great chicken Pa. You too, Ma." And left the kitchen. For the back porch just as the women began yelling at each other.   
  
"There's no place like home."  
  
~*~ 


End file.
